Resurrection Power (3)

In this blog series for Holy Week, we’re tackling the question, “What does it mean that ‘resurrection power’ (Ephesians 1:19-20) is at work in us?” We saw in part two that Paul described our condition in unbelief as that of Zombies, the walking dead-in-sins-and-trespasses (2:1-3).  The restoration Paul describes should remind us of the way God has worked elsewhere in Scripture, and we’ll take a look at that in the next few posts.

Let’s review the scenario in Ephesians:  We were dead and lifeless; God made us alive.  He saved us by grace (2:5, 8), not by works (2:9), which is not surprising since we were corpses.  When we are made alive in Christ, we reign and rule with him (2:6) and we do good works that he created for us to do (2:10).  The ultimate goal seems to be that we are recreated, brought back to life, to work.  God’s resurrection power ultimately comes out in “good works” created by God himself, done by his people.

There are some interesting parallels with Genesis.  What was not alive was made alive.  In both passages we are made alive so that we can work.  In both passages we are made alive in order to reign and rule (“have dominion”).  In Genesis God created for his own purposes, leaving us no room to boast in our identity, accomplishments or abilities (1 Cor 4:7).  In salvation he recreates in such a way that similarly removes all boasting (Eph 2:9).  But in both cases, there’s plenty to marvel at what God has done—in recreation no less than in the glory of creation.  And in both Ephesians 2 and the original creation story in Genesis, creation-to-reign-and-to-work is immediately followed by “created to be in community” with those who aren’t like you (see Eph 2:11ff).

If this alignment of creation and recreation is right, then the resurrection power at work in us is a lot like the powerful work God did at creation.  Part Four to follow…

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